What causes multi-generational poverty and welfare dependance?

Question

At some point wouldn't a person decide to go to school and get work skilss and a job? Do they like living on welfare? Hwat causes generations of a family to give birth at 15 and think it's an OK way to live?

My mom grew up so poor they didn't even get to eat frequently. But she worked hard to get ahead. Why do some people just give up and why does this become a lifestyle choice instead of a crisis to overcome?

Answer 1

Laziness. It is far easier to rely upon others than to be self sufficient and resourceful.

Answer 2

We need to get back to traditional family values as a first step.  People like Juan Williams and Bill Cosby have the right ideas.  In a nutshell, they advocate finishing school, getting a job, getting married, and having children--in that order!

Answer 3

The government has created this class of people.  By allowing the system to be so thoroughly abused, they have let people be conditioned to think they are entitled not to work.  Welfare should be a short-term assistance program, not a career.

Answer 4

There are so many factors involved in this!  Sure someone could decide to go to school, and get a job....what if your parents make you stay home to care for younger siblings, what if your school is too dangerous to get a good education, what if no one tells you that you can and you think getting pregnant or selling drugs is the only way to live.  Believe it or not but there are children to whom this way of life is not a crisis, but just their way of life.  What about generations of families experiencing domestic violence?  Until we can break that cycle, it will continue to destroy families, creates single parent families living well below the poverty level and on welfare....however that is a better alternative than living with violence.

I don't think it is as black and white as you are thinking it is.  Your mom was probably in a family where working hard was valued and she grew up knowing she was capable of getting ahead.  Not everyone has that opportunity.

Answer 5

What if you could live better on welfare than you could if you worked 8 hours a day, 7 days a week??

What if you worked 8 hours a day, 7 days a week and STILL qualified for welfare based on income?

Unfortunately, in some areas, you can work your tail off, make minimum wage and still be on welfare. For instance, my area is considered a seasonal tourist town. The cost of living here is very high because the developers are trying to draw more rich tourists into town. The city government, while approving building permits for multimillion dollar condos and apartment complexes, ignores requests for affordable housing. The result is an ever widening gap between upper and lower classes and the merging of the middle, lower-middle, and lower class into one class. The cost of rent, utilities, etc is so high here that half the people who work minimum wage jobs are still on welfare. So, many quit their jobs simply because they get welfare anyway.

It's particularly hard on the lower-middle class, here. They make just slightly too much money to get welfare. They look around at the people who are job-less, getting welfare, and living better than they are and wonder why they're working so hard.

Not all people on welfare have "given up" or are as worthless as you are insinuating.